AN ANTIQUES Roadshow guest was left disappointed after he was given a feeble valuation for his precious ‘£250k item.’
Expert Ronnie Archer-Morgan was tasked with delivering the disheartening news to the man who was expecting a six-figure sum for the figurine.
During a recent Antiques Roadshow episode fronted by Fiona Bruce, an unexpected turn of events took place when a guest with high hopes brought in a figurine from the Kota tribe in Gabon for valuation at Nottingham’s Wollaton Hall.
Ronnie assessed the item, which the owner anticipated to be worth around £250K – but unfortunately, it didn’t reach anywhere near his expectations.
After discovering that the guest paid £1.50, Ronnie responded: “You really took a risk, didn’t you?”
The crestfallen owner then went on and revealed their initial interest in the item, saying: “Well, I was intrigued by the fact that it looked as if somebody had put a lot of work into making it.”
Ronnie examined the statue before explaining: “When you unwrapped this, my heart really skipped a beat because it’s one of my favourite tribal African figures.
“This is a Kota reliquary guardian figure, and they put these on the bones of their ancestors to protect them, and they polished this metal.
“And in the 19th century, they were brass and copper, this is just copper, the brass and copper were like gold to them.
“They’re so highly revered in the art world that they have one of these in the Metropolitan Museum in New York.”
The BBC star added: “They’re such iconic examples of African tribal art. They hammer the metal over the wood sculpture, and then they chase the metal with these designs.
“It’s the geometric form of them that makes them so desirable, and they influenced the greatest modern artists of all time because at the beginning of modernism, they are very, very sought-after.”
The antiques expert then raised hopes of a high valuation after disclosing that a similar figure was sold for £250k a few years ago.
However, the good news was accompanied with some bad news, as Ronnie revealed: “Unfortunately, this one is a very fine copy.
“It’s slightly the wrong size. This was likely made around 1980, and one of this kind is probably worth about £150. It is 100 times more than you paid for it.”
Even though the item was worth more than its original price, it was not the jackpot the guest might have yearned for.
On a seperate episode of the Antiques Roadshow, a guest was left gobsmacked after learning the value of a broken watch he had found in a box of junk.
Expert Alistair Chandler estimated that the watch, which was purchased for £40, would be worth between £1,500 and £2,000 at auction.
Antiques Roadshow is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
